Associate Director - Operations

Abacus Group, LLC; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Abacus Group, LLC, a leading investment banking services provider in Manhattan, seeks an Associate Director-Operations to oversee end-to-end client onboarding, trade support, and lifecycle management.

In this hybrid role, you will manage settlement, confirmations, and regulatory classifications across global markets, mentor junior staff, and partner with audits to strengthen controls and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 7-10+ years of experience in Operations, Middle Office, Back Office, or Trade Support in financial markets.
• Series 7 or SIE and Series 99 licenses required.
• Familiarity with FINRA TRAQS, DTCC ALERT, CTM, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong understanding of global market settlement processes and client trade support functions.
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and multitasking skills.
• Client-focused, execution-oriented, and able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end client onboarding, including new accounts, sub-accounts, and managed funds.
• Maintain accurate client static data, including settlement instructions and regulatory classifications.
• Oversee trade booking and allocation through CTM, FIX, and manual workflows.
• Deliver accurate trade confirmations across equities, fixed income, and U.S. Treasuries.
• Manage full trade lifecycle from booking to settlement across global markets.
• Investigate and resolve settlement breaks, fails, and SSI discrepancies with clients and counterparties.
• Perform daily position reconciliations to ensure accurate trade capture.
• Complete TRACE reporting for fixed income products per regulatory requirements.
• Create and track JIRA tickets; support UAT and regression testing for system changes.
• Identify workflow improvements and strengthen controls for operational efficiency.
• Act as primary contact for internal and external audits, providing updates as needed.
• Ensure procedures are current and aligned with regulatory and governance standards.
• Lead and support operational projects, including system upgrades and cross-functional initiatives.
• Respond promptly to client inquiries and provide high-quality trade lifecycle support.
• Manage operational exceptions, including penalties, buy-ins, and cash discrepancies.
• Mentor junior team members and support their development.

Skills

Client onboarding

Trade support

Data accuracy

Regulatory compliance

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication

Mentoring

Attention to detail

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Finance, Business, or related field

Tools

FINRA TRAQS

DTCC ALERT

CTM

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our client is an investment banking firm. They seek an Associate Director-Operations to join their Manhattan, NY office. Please note, this role's hours are 7AM-4-4:30 PM depending on workload and after an onboarding period, the role is hybrid.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end client onboarding, including new accounts, sub-accounts, and managed funds.
• Maintain accurate client static data, including settlement instructions, commission details, and regulatory classifications.
• Oversee timely and accurate trade booking and allocation through CTM, FIX, and manual workflows.
• Deliver accurate trade confirmations across equities, fixed income, and U.S. Treasuries.
• Manage the full trade lifecycle from booking and matching through settlement across domestic and global markets.
• Investigate and resolve settlement breaks, fails, unmatched trades, and SSI discrepancies while working directly with clients and counterparties.
• Perform daily position reconciliations to ensure accurate trade capture and downstream processing.
• Complete TRACE reporting for fixed income products in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Create and track JIRA tickets and support UAT and regression testing for system changes.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, strengthen controls, and improve operational efficiency.
• Act as a primary contact for internal and external audits, providing documentation, clarification, and remediation updates as needed.
• Ensure operational procedures are followed, regularly reviewed, kept current, and aligned with regulatory and internal governance standards.
• Lead and support operational projects, including system upgrades, process improvements, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Respond promptly to client inquiries and provide high-quality trade lifecycle support.
• Manage operational exceptions, including penalties, buy-ins, corporate actions, and cash discrepancies.
• Mentor junior team members and support their ongoing development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 7-10+ years of relevant experience in Operations, Middle Office, Back Office, or Trade Support within a financial markets environment.
• Series 7 or SIE and Series 99 licenses required.
• Proficiency with FINRA TRAQS, DTCC ALERT, CTM, and Microsoft Office strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of global market settlement processes and client trade support functions.
• Familiarity with financial products, markets, and related trading and settlement workflows.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy, with excellent analytical, quantitative, organizational, problem-solving, project management, client service, and multitasking skills.
• Client-focused and execution-oriented, with a commitment to delivering timely, high-quality service.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, self-motivated, results-driven, and able to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

*Please note: Hours are 7-4pm fully in office during training period. After training, moves to a hybrid schedule